A striking figure: Chernyshov revealed how much Ukraine's population has declined over the past decade.

The population of Ukraine in 2024 reached 32 million people, which is a catastrophic figure. In 2015, the population was 10 million higher.

This was reported by Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of National Unity Oleksiy Chernyshov in an interview with Die Welt.

Ministry of National Unity: Why It Was Created and What It Will DoFor a month now, the Ministry of National Unity has been operating in Ukraine. The infographic shows what is known about it.January 6, 2025, 17:24

According to him, at the time of gaining independence in 1991, Ukraine had a population of 52 million.

“Ten years later, this number decreased to 48 million. Before the first phase of the war, it was already 45 million. In 2015, after the annexation of Crimea, there were 42 million left. In 2024, we became a country with 32 million people – this is a catastrophic number,” Chernyshov stated.

He noted that the good news is that the overall Ukrainian nation numbers around 60 million people. The issue is that half of them are outside the country: these are individuals who left before the major war, war refugees, as well as the Ukrainian diaspora.

The minister shared how many Ukrainians have left the country due to the major war.

“Almost five million people left the country during the war. These are individuals with protected status. We want to maintain contact with all Ukrainians living abroad,” Chernyshov added.

It is worth noting that the Institute of Demography has predicted how many refugees will return to Ukraine. Meanwhile, the Ministry of National Unity has been established in Ukraine, led by Oleksiy Chernyshov.